FAITH
Friday, July 21, 2017
East Oregonian
Why a Saudi woman’s miniskirt sparked outcry
By AYA BATRAWY
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A short
video of a Saudi woman walking around in a
miniskirt and crop top sparked an outcry after
going viral, leading to the woman being detained
for several hours.
The woman was eventually released without
charge, but the incident and the online debate
it ignited point to the tension in Saudi Arabia
between proponents of its conservative, state-
enforced religious strictures and those pushing
for greater rights.
Here’s a look at why the video caused such
an uproar.
The shock
The woman, whose name has not been
released, defied the kingdom’s conservative
dress code, which requires all women, even
foreigners, to wear long, loose robes known as
abayas in public.
Most Saudi women also cover their hair and
face with black veils.
It is common in Saudi Arabia to see heavily
blurred or pixelated images of women’s faces on
billboards and storefronts — in stark contrast to
the many towering images of senior male royals
displayed across the country.
In some segments of society, even uttering a
woman’s name in public is taboo.
High-level foreign dignitaries have been the
exception to the rule. German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, American first lady Melania Trump and
the president’s daughter, Ivanka, did not cover
their hair or wear abayas on official visits to Saudi
Arabia this year, though they did dress modestly.
Last December another Saudi woman posted
a picture of herself in public without the abaya
on, but she was wearing a black coat and a long,
colorful skirt.
She was detained and interrogated for five
days. Her current legal status is unclear.
A deeply conservative country
Saudi Arabia is a deeply conservative country
that is governed by an austere interpretation of
Islam widely known as Wahhabism, which draws
heavily on the kingdom’s tribal and patriarchal
customs.
The country is home to Islam’s holiest sites
in Mecca and Medina, which draw millions of
Muslims around the world for pilgrimage.
The kingdom is ruled by a monarch whose
power is rooted in the support of influential
Wahhabi clerics. Saudi judges also adhere to
conservative interpretations of the faith.
Other countries are governed by Islamic
law, but none enforce the Saudi government’s
strict interpretation of it. Foreign women wear
bathing suits on public beaches in nearby Dubai,
PENDLETON BAPTIST
CHURCH
3202 SW Nye Ave Pendleton, OR
541-276-7590
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sunday Bible Classes 9:45 AM
Sunday Youth Group 6:00 PM
Mon. Community Women’s Study
9:30 AM & 6 PM
Awana Kids Club (K-6th grade)
Wed Men’s Study 6 PM
MOPS meeting the 1st Thur of the Month 6 PM
P eace L utheran C hurch
210 NW 9th, Pendleton ELCA
Join us Sundays
9:30
Sunday
Worship
9:30
am am
Sunday
Worship
10:30 am Fellowship
11:00 am Sunday School
& Adult Class
~Come and be at Peace ~
on 1290 KUMA noon each Sunday
Redeemer
Episcopal
Church
241 SE Second St. Pendleton
(541)276-3809
www.pendletonepiscopal.org
Sunday Holy Communion 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Holy Communion Noon
Weekly Adults Spiritual Life Group
All Are Welcome
Bible school
creates purpose
Kids Club meets weekly
AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File
In this 2014 file photo, a Saudi woman seen through a heart-shaped statue walks along
an inlet of the Red Sea in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.
and can be seen in jeans and shorter dresses at
malls in Kuwait and Qatar. In Iran, and among
ultraorthodox Jews in Israel, women are required
to dress modestly.
Gender segregation
Cafes and restaurants in Saudi Arabia are
typically gender-segregated, requiring women to
enter through separate doors and be seated out of
view of single men.
It remains illegal for women to drive in Saudi
Arabia. Women also need the consent of a male
relative, usually a father or husband, before they
are allowed to travel abroad or obtain a passport.
Despite some openings for women in recent
years, clerics in Saudi Arabia have spoken out
against women driving and against women
working jobs where they might interact with
unrelated males.
Most universities and schools are segregated
by gender.
Most Saudi women who do work are in
teaching jobs, though women have also run in
local elections and hold posts in the country’s top
consultative body, the Shura Council.
The religious police
Saudi Arabia curbed the powers of the
religious police last year.
The all-male force can no longer make arrests
or pursue people in car chases, though they still
patrol the streets and public places ensuring
unrelated men and women are not mingling.
are both natural and neither is
sinful,” Robertson wrote. “I will
never support the phrase ‘love the
sinner, hate the sin’ because that
‘sin’ is part of who that person is.”
Robertson’s post was private,
meaning it was only sent to her
Facebook friends’ timelines, but
later that day she got phone call
letting her know that she had been
reported to university administra-
tion.
University administrators met
with her to understand her views
and hoped that she would recon-
sider her stance and take down
the post, according to Robertson.
Robertson edited the post, but
refused to delete it.
FIRST SERVICE 8:30 AM
SECOND SERVICE 10:30 AM
712 SW 27 TH ST.
541-276-1894
www.fcogpendleton.com
Come meet Jesus at
BRIEFLY
PENDLETON — Kids are
invited to attend the Maker Fun
Factory vacation Bible school.
With a theme of “Created by
God: Built for a Purpose,” kids
ages 5 through 12 are invited to
attend. The event runs Monday,
July 24 through Friday, July 28
from 6-8 p.m. at the Pendleton
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
1401 S.W. Goodwin Place.
Parents can register their
children in advance at www.
vbspro.events.
Also, walk-in registrations are
accepted. For more information,
call 541-276-0882.
The religious police, officially known as the
Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and
Prevention of Vice, ensure that both women and
men are dressed modestly.
Men can run afoul of the rules by wearing
shorts that stop above the knee or by sporting
long or outlandish hairstyles.
After the miniskirt video surfaced, the
religious police referred the case to other agencies
to investigate it. The woman was questioned by
security officials in Riyadh.
Openings
Last month, the king named his son as heir
to the throne. Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, 31, has spearheaded a Vision 2030 plan
to overhaul the country, including modernizing
aspects of society.
Also last month, King Salman announced
that public prosecution powers would be moved
from under the interior minister’s purview to that
of the royal court, directly under the monarch.
A new attorney general was also named in the
reshuffling.
As part of Vision 2030, the government has
pushed for there to be more entertainment for
youth, allowing musical concerts that were once
banned and even a Comic-Con event.
The kingdom announced last week that girls
would be allowed for the first time to play sports
in public school and have access to physical
education classes.
Idaho professor fired after showing LGBT support on Facebook
REXBURG, Idaho — A former
Brigham Young University-Idaho
professor said she was fired after
posting a critical view of the
Mormon church’s policies against
same-sex couples on Facebook.
Former
political
science
professor and LDS church member
Ruthie Robertson, 22, wrote a
lengthy Facebook post on June
5 in favor of equal rights for the
LGBT community during Pride
Month. The post also addressed the
church’s opposition to same-sex
relationships
and
legalized
same-sex marriage.
“This is my official announce-
ment and declaration that I believe
heterosexuality and homosexuality
Page 7A
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all
services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 pm
Wed Prayer & Worship -
7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
in Mission for Christ LCMC
Bible Study.........9:00 AM
Sunday Worship......10:30 AM
Red Lion Hotel
( Oregon Trail Room )
www.faithpendleton.org
BAHA’I FAITH
“The Unity of All Mankind”
Pendleton Baha’i Center at
1015 SE Court Place
Devotions Sundays @
11:00am; Everyone invited!
(541) 276-9360 visit us at
www.pendletonbahais.org
To share your worship times
call 541-278-2678
Because Robertson was not a
tenured professor, there was no
required due process before she
was fired and as a private university
owned and operated by The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, there is no law that prevents
a professor from being fired for
expressing opinions that go against
the church’s policies.
“I was really bummed out
because of how much I love my
students, and how much of a change
I could see in them,” she told the
Salt Lake Tribune. “I was also
really stressed out because it was
my sole income. But at the same
time, I was angry — I was upset
they would fire me over something
like this. I was kind of indignant. I
wasn’t going to back down.”
Robertson graduated from the
university in April 2016 and began
teaching online courses for the
university in January. She taught her
final class at the school’s Rexburg,
Idaho campus on Tuesday.
Robertson was previously under
contract to teach again during
the fall semester and was told her
contract would be renewed for
2018.
University spokesman Brett
Crandall told the Post Register
that officials declined to comment
and cited a “long-standing policy
of not commenting on personnel
matters.”
HERMISTON — Area youths
are invited to participate in the
weekly Kids Club at the Hermiston
Christian Center.
The weekly event features
everything from games, sports
and outdoor activities to puppets,
music and prizes. Open to ages
5-12, the Kids Club meets each
Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. at the
Hermiston Christian Center, 1825
W. Highland Ave.
Children of all faiths are
invited to attend. In addition,
transportation can be arranged. For
more information, contact Joanna
Hayden at joanna.3056@gmail.
com or 541-561-5573.
Ascension camp
offers Solar Eclipse
Experience
COVE — Situated north of
the path of totality for the Aug. 21
solar eclipse, the Ascension Camp
& Conference Center is looking at
hosting people as a fundraiser for
the camp.
The Solar Eclipse Experience
will feature lodging (cabins,
recreational vehicle sites or tent
camping) and meals for guests.
The camp is working out details to
provide a program that will include
star gazing and astronomical
study. In addition, there will be
opportunities for worship and
spiritual meditation.
A ministry of the Episcopal
Diocese of Eastern Oregon, the
camp is nestled in the foothills of
the Wallowa Mountains. For more
information, including costs of the
solar event, call 541-568-4514. For
more about the camp facilities, visit
www.coveascensionschool.com.
———
Friday’s faith page features
local, national and international
faith-related news. Send
information about local faith-
related news and events, including
concerts, special speakers
and activities to community@
eastoregonian.com or drop off to
the attention of Tammy Malgesini
at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or
Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers
Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539
or 541-966-0818 with questions.
Worship
Community
Community
Presbyterian Church
14 Martin Drive,
Umatilla, OR
922-3250
Worship: 10 AM
Sunday School at 11:30
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
-Presbyterian Church (USA)-
201 SW Dorion Ave.
Pendleton
Service of Worship - 10:00 am
Children’s Sunday School -
10:20 am
Fellowship - 11:00 am
www.pendletonpresbyterian.com
Open Hearted...
Open Minded
The Salvation Army
Center for Worship & Service
OPEN HEARTS – OPEN DOOR
www.graceandmercylutheran.org
Sunday Worship 8:45 a.m.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m. (Nursery Provided)
Fellowship, Refreshments & Sunday School
Check Out our Facebook Page or
Website for More Information
Sunday Worship Service
9:30 - Sunday School
10:30 - Worship Service
Wednesday Bible Study
5:30 Family Fellowship Meal • 6:00 Bible Study
541-289-4535
Tom Inch, Pastor
Grace and Mercy Lutheran Church, ELCA
(First United Methodist Church)
191 E. Gladys Ave. / P.O. Box 1108
Hermiston, Oregon 97838
COME AS YOU ARE
150 SE Emigrant
(541) 276-3369
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
Good Shepherd
Lutheran Church
Saturday Services
Pendleton
1401 SW Goodwin Place
276-0882
Sabbath School 9:20 am
Worship Service 10:45 am
Sunday worship at
11:00 AM
LCMC
420 Locust St. • Boardman, OR
541-481-6132
Colin Brown, Pastor
Behind These Stone Walls Beat the Hearts
of Some of the Warmest Most Sincere,
Most Caring People in Pendleton.
We Invite You to Come Get Acquainted!
Summer Worship 9:40 am
Fellowship to follow
Offi ce 541-276-5358 M-F, 8:30-12:30
www.fccpendleton.org
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
PENDLETON
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH
Sunday Service: 10am & 6pm
Tuesday Kingdom Seekers: 7pm
Wednesday Bible Study: 7pm
We off er: Sunday School • Sign Language
Interpreters • Nursery • Transportation • & more!
Pastor Dan Satterwhite
541.377.4252
417 NW 21st St. • Pendleton, OR 97801
www.facebook.com/
PendletonLighthouseChurch
First United
Methodist
Church
Faith Center Church
Pendleton
Loving People
108 S. Main • 276-9569
Sunday Worship
10:00 am
Sr. Pastor,
Ray O’Grady
352 SE 2nd Street, Pendleton OR
Sunday Worship 9am • 541-276-2616
Worship Broadcast on KUMA 1290 @ 11am
Worship Livestream at
www.facebook.com/FUMCPendleton/
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Rev. Dr. Jim Pierce, pastor
401 Northgate,
Northgate, Pendleton
401
Pendleton
Celebration
of
Worship
Celebration of Worship
Sundays 10:00am
Sundays
10:00 am
Youth: 0-6th
Youth:
0-6th grade
grade
Midweek Service
Midweek
Sevice
Wednesdays
6:00 pm
Wednesdays 6:00pm
Youth: 0-6th
0-6th grade
grade
Youth:
Overcomer’s
Outreach
Overcomer’s Outreach
Tuesday’s
6:00 pm
Tuesday’s 6:00pm
In the
the Annex
In
Annex
Christ Centered,
A A Christ
Centered, 12
12 Step
Step
Recovery Support
Support Group
Recovery
Group
Pastor Sharon Miller
Pastor Sharon Miller
541-278-8082
541-278-8082
www.livingwordcc.com
www.livingwordcc.com
Worshiping God
pendletonfaithcenter.org